Nutrition test tomorrow

Good evening everyone.  Hope this finds everyone well.

Today was just a day to study and study Nutrition ... the big test is tomorrow and I think that I am ready but the proof is in the pudding.  I won't know for sure until I get the score.  I am hoping to pass it and I really hope to do a little better than that ... I have put enough time in on this book studying.

Culinary word of the day:  tuile (twee)

To take my mind off of all of it for tonight at least I am watching a program called "Inside the Bermuda Triangle".  Actually the Bermuda Triangle and Edgar Allen Poe are two of my favorite things to investigate when I am not thinking about school.  Oh, and I think that Ernest Hemingway is a pretty interesting guy too.  I have experienced the Bermuda Triangle first hand many times in my cursing days in Lighthouse Point, Florida with my late husband.  There is something about it that you can not explain but I never felt that we were in any real danger ... or were we just naive?  Look what happened to CM and his traveling mates.  I think that we were a little smarter back then and we learned very early on that you needed to respect the Ocean ... I don't think that CM had that same respect or did he have a sea-worthy boat.  Remembering all of this again is certainly enough to take my mind off of the test ... wrong.

Mom's Caster Beans

Not too much else to report for today.  Just getting ready to go to bed and see if I can get any sleep at all tonight.  I don't have to be to school until 10 AM so I even will be able to sleep in if I so chose to.  That will be welcome for a change even though I am mostly a morning person and usually like to get my day started early ... actually the earlier the better is what I say.

Culinary word of the day meaning:  French for tile and used to describe a thin, crisp wafer cookie traditionally shaped while still hot around a curved object such as a rolling pin.

Oh, I almost forgot.  I promised a Bacon Jam recipe today in the post.  And before you snort at Bacon Jam, you might want to try it first.

Bacon Jam

1 pound smoked bacon (or use regular bacon and liquid smoke)

4 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 medium onion sliced

3 tablespoons brown sugar

Tabasco sauce (according to taste)

1 cup coffee

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup maple syrup

Black pepper to taste

Extra water

In a nonstick pan, fry the bacon in batches until lightly browned and beginning to crisp.  Using a pair of scissors cut into 1 inch pieces.

Fry the onion and garlic in the rendered bacon fat on medium heat until translucent, about 5 minutes.

Transfer the bacon, onion and garlic into a heavy-based, cast-iron pot and add the rest of the ingredients, except for the water.  Simmer for 2 hours adding 1/4 of a cup of water every 25-30 minutes or so and stirring.

When ready, cool for about 15-20 minutes and then place in a food processor.  Pulse for 2-3 seconds so that you leave some texture to the "jam" or you could keep whizzing and make it smoother and more paste-like.

Store in a sterilized jar and refrigerate.  Makes about 1 cup.

That is it for me today fellow readers.  I am off to bed.  I am starting to get tired and don't want to miss the opportunity to fall asleep if that is even possible.  Just one more thing to add ... my "blog" was in the hard copy of the Oakland Press today ... that was very exciting to see "my blog" in print in the local newspaper.  Wow!

Have a good night and everyone take care.  Good night for now from 1HappyChef.  :)